Workflow and the Wf MC Standards David Hollingsworth

Workflow and the Wf. MC Standards David Hollingsworth 1

Agenda • Introduction to Workflow • Background on the Workflow Management Coalition • Process Interoperability Models • Wf. MC Standards Status • Product Conformance & Testing 2

What is Workflow The automation of a business process, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant* to another for action, according to a set of procedural rules. *participant = resource (human or machine) 3

Workflow Overview Process Designer Business Process Analysis, Modelling & Definition Tools Process Definition Process Execution Administrator / Supervisor Process Design & Definition Process changes Workflow Management System Distributed Infrastructure Environment Work Presentation Users Application Launch Applications & IT Tools 4

The Process Definition 1. Activity Network - Nodes & Transitions A 2 A 1 A 3 A 6 A 5 A 8 A 10 A 11 A 7 A 4 A 9 • Options for Sequential, Parallel & Conditional paths 2. Activity Definitions • Resource Requirement • Work Items • Applications 3. Data Definitions • Workflow Relevant Data • (Application Specific Data) 5

Workflow - Past & Future • First generation - disjoint applications, human interface n Call Centre management Correspondence handling n Claims authorisation, etc n • Second generation - infrastructure, broker / agent interfaces: n n E-process support Enterprise Application Integration 6

Background • Founded in 1993, to develop & promote workflow integration capability • Non profit-making, open to all • Working arrangements with AIIM, OMG and IETF • Current membership is c. 220, made up of: S. America Japan / Asia User Analyst / Consultant US / Canada Academic & Research Integrator/VAR Europe Vendor 7

The Workflow Reference Model Process Definition Tools Interface 1 Interface 5 Process Definition Import/Export Workflow Enactment Service Administration & Monitoring Tools Workflow Engine(s) Interface 2 Client Apps Workflow Engine(s) Interface 3 Worklist Handler Other Workflow Enactment Service(s) Interface 4 - Interoperability Tool Agent Invoked Applications Legacy, Desktop, etc 8

Specifications - Context Diagram Process Definition Tool / Task Resource Model Interface Process Definition Interface creates / modifies may refer to Organisational Model Process Definition is instantiated by may refer to create, destroy modify External S/W object Process & Activity Control / Interoperability Interface Workflow Manager create & destroy may use generates Workflow Relevant Data may invoke inherits properties Process Instance processed by Worklist Handler presented for action by Participant maintain audit trail Process Instance History provides invocation context Workflow Enactment Service Work Item Worklist Handler I/F Audit Specifications may set Tool Agent Application may invoke Application Invocation I/F 1. Workflow Manager may be distributed, but is assumed to maintain consistent internal state 2. Scope of a Process Definition is the enactment service

1. Sub-Process Interoperability Model A 2 A 1 A 5 A 3 A 4 B 1 B 2 B 3 B 4 C 1 WAPI Initiate Sub-process Workflow Enactment Service #1 Return C 2 C 3 C 4 WAPI Workflow Enactment Service #2 WAPI Workflow Enactment Service #3 10

2. Parallel Synchronised Interoperability Model Synchpoint across processes A 1 A 2 A 3 A 4 B 1 B 2 B 3 B 4 C 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 • To support inter-process dependencies • Uses Synch Event and optional Confirm WAPI Sync. Event Workflow Enactment Service #1 optional Confirm Workflow Enactment Service #2 11

Process Naming & Context • Activities may be atomic, sub-process call, or in-line block • A sub-process inherits characteristics from its process definition and has its own name space apart from “Root Process Id” (from initiating process) • A sub-process call may be specified as synchronous or asynchronous, binding prefixed or late • An in-line block operates within the name space and characteristics of its local process • Activity and Transition Ids are unique within a process definition • Resource naming may use an Organisational Model typically unique to a workflow enactment service

Wf. MC - Specifications § Reference Model (1994) § Glossary (1994, 1996) § Workflow APIs § “C” (1995) § IDL / CORBA (1998) § Interoperability Protocol & Bindings § MIME (Email) (1995) § IDL / CORBA (1998) § XML (April 2000) § Audit specification (1996) § Process Definition Import/Export Specification § WPDL (1998) § UML/XML (Q 4 2000) § OMG Submission (Object Model & IDL, 1998)

Products & Conformance • OMG Submission n 21 vendors as co-submitters with implementation commitment • Interoperability Testing n n Facility established at University of Muenster First stage (MIME) - 3 vendors completed Second stage (MIME) - 8 vendors committed Wf-XML testing - Q 3 14

Contacts & Further Information http: //www. wfmc. org david. hollingsworth@services. fujitsu. com 15